


Coming Home to You

by midnightmumblings



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Gen, Hope I made you cry too, Implied Relationship, It's super sweet I promise, Not super major character death, Someone will die but it's not through violence I swear, i made myself cry writing this, implied phan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 14:59:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8805367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightmumblings/pseuds/midnightmumblings
Summary: It’s been sixteen years since Phil died.  Sixteen years since they were separated from each other.  Sometimes, Dan just can’t help the thought that at any moment now, he’d be coming home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY SO THIS IS REALLY SAD I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I WROTE THIS BUT I MADE MYSELF CRY WRITING IT. TW: DEATH HENCE THE WARNING!
> 
> woot first post!
> 
> Okay so I was struck by the sudden inspiration to write this after having watched PINOF 6 one too many times. Hope you all like it! As always, Dan and Phil are their own people, and I do not make any claims to their person. This is a work of fiction. :)

Dan huffed as he ambled over to the rocking chair by the fireplace. The flat was quiet; his caregiver, Tabitha (weird coincidence that was), was out buying groceries, leaving Dan to his own devices for a few hours. 

He gave an annoyed sigh when his joints cracked with every movement. His arthritis has been getting worse with each passing day, flaring up more so now that he had aged quite a lot. After what seemed like an eternity, Dan plopped into the rocking chair, letting out a relieved sigh. Being 86 sure had its downsides.

Oh, if only Phil could see him now, he mused. The other would definitely point and laugh at him so much so that he’d crack his own hip. Then Dan would laugh at him, and they’ll just be cranky old men together. 

But Phil wasn’t there with him anymore. It has been sixteen years since Phil passed away (not that Dan kept count). Dan always figured that Phil would outlive him with his eternal optimism and kind soul. Alas, the fates were not as kind. After Phil's long and arduous battle with cancer, Dan sat by Phil’s beside, holding the latter’s hand as he succumbed to the illness, whispering “This was the most fun I’ve ever had” as a final nod towards them and the crazy universe they managed to create in their youth.

Dan would have flung himself into the deep end after that, even if he was only 70, and thus more rational. If it hadn’t been for Phil’s letter that he discovered in an old, worn-out copy of TABINOF, Dan shuddered at the thought of what he could have done. 

_Dear Dan,_

_As much as it pains me to say it (and write it, dear lord, arthritis is a pain in the joints – pun so definitely intended), at some point in the near future, I won’t be here with you anymore. I don’t know how long I have, nor do I know when I’ll be gone, but we both know I haven’t got much time left either._

_I will admit it, I am afraid. Not of death, for I will welcome a time when I won’t have to deal with this pain again. However, I am afraid of leaving you. Despite our ups and downs and despite all that we have lived through, you have stayed with me, stuck by my side, a constant presence. I am afraid of a time when I can’t be physically able to do the same for you._

_You are the one person that I can’t bear to leave, which is why I am writing this letter in the hopes that when I’ve gone, I could still try to be with you, even if it’s just through a pen and a crappy prescription paper from the hospital._

_You’ve still got so much left to live for. If anything, you can still leave a bigger mark on the world. I want you to live your life to the fullest, Dan. I want you to keep going on and do everything on your bucket list, no matter how long that might seem, even if I won’t be there to do them with you._

_Continue creating your legacy, Dan. Always remember that I love you, and I can’t wait for a time when we’ll be together again. Be strong for me, Bear, and I’ll see you soon._

_Always and Forever Yours,_

_Phil ^_^_

That letter, along with other memorabilia from their YouTube days, remained firm in Dan’s bedside drawer. After reading that letter, Dan wiped the tears from his eyes, and swore that his last days on Earth would be spent making good on the silent promise he made to Phil.

Now, at 86, Dan feels as if he’s done everything he could possibly do under the sun. His old age is finally catching up to him, but instead of feeling the eternal dread he used to have when he thought about death, he felt a strange and serene calm to overcome him. Gingerly, he reached over, ignoring the pain that flared in his back as he did, and pulled out their very first copy of TABINOF, the physical manifestation of their existence – of Dan and Phil – and the mark they made on the world.

Dan opened the old, yellowing pages, a smile landing on his face as he began to read. He chuckled as the life he once led flashed like a movie in his mind. Memories of recording, editing, gaming, and cat whiskers rolled around in his brain, a montage of events that seemed like yesterday. He remembered Phil, eternally happy Phil, who laughed and smiled and was just so kind to the world, even if the world wasn’t as kind to him. Despite being underrated and underappreciated by everyone (Dan still stands by his opinion that Phil deserved all the love in the world), Phil took it with a smile and directed his efforts elsewhere. He constantly tried new things, continuing to grow and encouraging Dan to do the same. He always thought of ideas and videos that their colleagues never would have come up with in their lifetime. Phil was truly an amazing person, and Dan felt honored and happy that he got to spend his life with him.

He flipped through the pages once more when something caught his eyes. Despite the rest of his body going to shit, his eyesight was still rather keen, and Dan turned to the final page of the book. He swore.

“Phil, ya cheeky shit.” He muttered to the empty room, a grin overtaking his face. “You absolute spork.”

There, on the final page of the book, Phil had written something in Sharpie:

_To Dan: I’ll have pancakes waiting for you when I see you again._

Grabbing the sharpie from the table, Dan removed the cap and scribbled at the bottom. Despite his knuckles being in pain, and his hand shaking, making is writing even more illegible, Dan finished his scribbles.

“I’m coming home, Phil.” He whispers, closing the book and holding it to his chest, a serene smile on his face.

*  
“Dan, wake up!”

His eyes shot open, and as he took in his surroundings, his eyebrow furrowed in confusion. Dan was in his old room, in the London apartment. He hasn’t been here in over fifty years.

Taking a glance at the mirror, Dan gasped in surprise when he was greeted with his 23 year old self. Sounds were coming from the kitchen, and he made his way over, unsure of what he would find.

What greeted him was possibly the most beautiful sight he has ever seen in his whole life.

Phil stood there, looking not a day over 27, making pancakes for them both.

“P-phil?”

Phil turned around, and Dan swore that Phil’s smile emitted sunlight.

Neither knew who made the first move, but Dan felt Phil’s strong arms encircle him in a tight hug. Phil smelled like warmth and happiness and home, and Dan never wanted to let go.

“What took you so long?” Phil asked, pulling back a bit from the hug.

“You told me to live my life to the full, you absolute spork.” Dan pointed out.

Phil laughed, tongue poking out, and oh how Dan missed this. “Oh yeah,” Phil replied, pulling Dan back to him in a hug.

“Welcome home, Bear.” Phil whispered, and Dan was definitely home.

*  
It was Tabitha who found him hours later when she came back from the grocery. He was clutching the old, worn-out copy of TABINOF close to his chest, a permanent smile on his face. Immediately, she called all the concerned parties, and they laid Dan to rest next to his best friend, just like they had always planned.

If you were to open that old copy of TABINOF, here is what you would see:

_To Dan: I’ll have pancakes waiting for you when I see you again.  
To Phil: Then I’m about to come home. ^^ _


End file.
